Nationalized Transport Can Now Expand'
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rriE Minister of Transport has told lie chairman of the Transport Holding Company that, subject to his normal control over investment and borrowing, their road haulage and passenger subsidiaries can expand their fleets.
Announcing this in the Commons this week. Mr. Fraser said that the expansion could be made where the subsidiary considered it to be advantageous in the normal course of business, and could do it by freely negotiating the acquisition of other undertakings as well as by the development of existing fleets.
The Minister told M.P.s that he had no proposals to put before the House at present in respect of public ownership of road transport, but Conservative Members pointed out to him that his news represented a threat to private road haulage.
The news that there was going to be a general extension of the nationalized haulage industry would be regretted throughout the country, said Mr. Peter Walker (Tory, Worcester), who pointed out that there was a great deaf of uncertainty within the industry.
The Minister said Mr. Walker was suggesting that private enterprise should be free to expand as they wanted to meet the needs of their customers, so he could not see why nationalized industries should not have the same freedom of action.
From the Opposition Front Bench, Mn Enoch Powell said there was a threat to private road transport implicit in the policies and statements of the Government.
Mr, Powell asked for a clear undertaking that the Minister would do nothing to limit the possibilities of expansion by private road transport and was told that the Minister had not done anything to limit this.
Manufacturing Side Too
I N a written reply in the Commons this week, Mr. Fraser said he had informed the, chairman of the Transport Holding Company that, subject to his normal control over investment and borrowing, the manufacturing capacity and output of their subsidiaries might be expanded where they considered this to be advantageous in the normal course of business permitted to them.
FAST LANE BAN?
THE Ministry of Transport, in consultation with the police, is taking a fresh look at the problem of lorries travelling on the fast lane of the Ml.
Mr. S. Si,vingler, Parliamentary. Secretary, announced this in the Commons this week when he was asked to consider banning lorries from that lane, a30 Mr. Fraser pointed out that slowmoving vehicles using the fast lane might be of different kinds and this was one of the difficulties. The matter was going to be considered urgently with the traffic committee of chief constables.